What Happened to the NBA’s Western Conference?

In recent years, the NBA’s Eastern Conference has been labeled a laughing stock. At the culmination of the 2014-15 season, three playoff teams in the East finished at or below .500. That prompted some discussion that the best 16 teams in the league should make the playoffs, regardless of what conference they play in.

Fast-forward to 2015-16, however, and the plot has flipped 180 degrees. Now, instead of the Eastern Conference bringing up the rear, the Western Conference is the weaker collective entity – and it’s not particularly close in terms of win/loss records.

So what happened to the West's dominance? PointAfter dove into the numbers to uncover why we're seeing such a dramatic shift.

Note: All stats referenced are accurate as of Jan. 4, prior to games played.

82

Eighty-two represents the total amount of games below .500 the conference’s nine sub-.500 teams are through late December. By comparison, only five teams are below the .500 mark in the East.

The Los Angeles Lakers lag far behind at the caboose (a whopping 19 games under .500). The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, have experienced an absolute freefall. They’ve lost nine straight games, including losses to the lowly Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, as well as suffering a 23-point loss to the Sacramento Kings (in which Phoenix allowed 142 points in regulation). The implosion prompted owner Robert Sarver to blame the team’s woes on “millennial culture.”

Even the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz – two teams currently in the playoff picture – have not won as many games as they’ve lost.

In the East, on the other hand, both the Charlotte Hornets (17-16) and Detroit Pistons (18-16) sit outside the top eight in the conference despite sporting winning records. It’s a narrative basketball fans have seen before, just not in the wild West.

53-6

Part of the reason for the balance of power evolving in the West is the brute strength atop the standings. The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have combined for a 53-6 conference record. These three juggernauts routinely bully Western Conference foes.

There’s been far less parity out West because the top three teams in the conference continue to be so dominant. Seven teams in the Western Conference finished with 50 wins or more a season ago. It appears increasingly less likely that we’ll see more than three (maybe four) win that many this time around.

The Portland Trail Blazers lost four starters from a year ago, so it’s understandable that they’d regress. Utah and New Orleans have both been hit by waves of injuries to explain their woes, but it’s still remarkable how much change we’ve seen in just a matter of months.

-5.1

The No. 6, 7 and 8 seeds in the Western Conference currently are the Memphis Grizzlies, Jazz and Rockets, respectively. That trio combines for an average point differential of -5.1 points per game.

For some added perspective, not a single team in the Eastern Conference playoff picture has a negative point differential right now. At the end of last season, only the No. 8 seed Brooklyn Nets in the East had a negative scoring differential out of all the squads that made it to the postseason.

Teams out West have channeled the stink of the East from a season ago, and perhaps no team is more confounding than the Rockets.

After making a run to the Western Conference Finals a season ago behind MVP-caliber play from James Harden and impressive team defense, Houston has been an enigma. Head coach Kevin McHale was fired after a 4-7 start, and interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff hasn’t exactly been the savior – leading the Rockets to a 12-12 mark.

The Rockets’ offensive numbers are actually quite similar to a season ago. It’s the defense that’s caused problems.

For a wide array of reasons, multiple Western Conference teams are facing identity crises. The Warriors, Spurs and Thunder pose lethal threats to opponents, but now the East has taken over as the most competitive conference top to bottom.

Heck, even the Philadelphia 76ers’ lone three victories occurred against Western Conference foes (Lakers, Suns and Kings).

It just goes to show how volatile the league can be. One of last year’s biggest story lines has been turned on its head, and it’s been truly bizarre to behold.

Note: This article originally appeared on SI.com through PointAfter's partnership with Sports Illustrated.

14.

Seattle Seahawks Fall in Super Bowl

The New England Patriots battled through a nailbiter of a match to win Super Bowl XLIX, which ended in a physical altercation between several players.

Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to the 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Az. The Seahawks defense intercepted two of quarterback Brady's fully inflated passes, but it would be a New England interception in the final minute of the game that would seal the victory for the Patriots.

12.

The 10 Dumbest Coaching Decisions in NFL History

It's always entertaining when NFL head coaches call what they think is a really good play or a really smart decision and then that decision goes completely wrong. Unless it's your team, then it's terrible.

GoLocalPDX took at look at the 10 dumbest coaching decisions in NFL history.

10

Alex Morgan is Gone and Portland Thorns Fans are to Blame

The face of U.S. women’s soccer, the cover girl of EA Sports FIFA 16, and one of the most recognizable athletes in all of sports, Alex Morgan, is no longer with the Portland Thorns, and it’s all your fault. Because of your relentless support and record-setting attendance, Portland was able to give in to the request of its most recognizable player, sacrificing star power in favor of gathering more talent and potential to make the Thorns a better team. Much better.

9.

Let’s face it. You are a billionaire and while you don’t like to lose money, you own the Trail Blazers and the Seahawks for the fun of it and the thrill of competition.

You’ve obviously succeeded with the Seahawks (though I still don’t care).

And while your 25-year track record with the Trail Blazers is much more middling, the fact that the Trail Blazers remain in Portland owes much to you. In other words, your sports legacy in Seattle is secure in Seattle and probably intact in Portland, save another “Jail Blazers” stretch.

But if you want to cement your legacy in Portland – and have a blast doing it – bring the Coyotes here.

8.

Oregon’s Football Uniforms No Longer a Joke

It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen solely because, but Oregon’s uniform revolution kick-started a metamorphosis of previously ugly ducklings into a sports nation of flourishing fowl. The Ducks of today are not the Ducks of 20 years ago, and the punchline they were due to the innovative route they chose to take has become the road more travelled for everyone else trying to catch up. They’re winning at an unprecedented rate, generating revenue at an unprecedented level, and attracting attention from prospects from unprecedented regions of the country. It isn’t and accident and it isn’t a joke anymore.

6.

Marcus Mariota Selected #2 Overall to Tennessee

With the number two pick in the 2015 NFL Draft the Tennessee Titans selected Marcus Mariota.

While at Oregon he was the perfect role model. He was never seen doing anything he wasn’t supposed to do. He even made weekly visits to the Boys and Girls Club located in Eugene, Oregon. The only hiccup on his record was when he got a speeding ticket during the season. Yet, he paid it off immediately and accepted that he was in the wrong. This is something that Duck fans desperately needed to see after witnessing Jeremiah Masoli, Cliff Harris and Colt Lyerla not live up to their full potential because of poor decisions made off the field. To many Duck fans this is what made Mariota so special.

4.

Brandon Roy’s Life After Basketball

Due to a number of knee ailments that dated back to his college days Roy was forced to retire from the NBA at the age of 28. It was later discovered that Roy suffered from degenerative knees, an ongoing issue that would provide additional problems in the future if he were to continue with his NBA career. Roy made the tough decision to call it a career after the 2012-2013 season.

Since his retirement from the NBA Roy has found another way to stay involved with the game that has brought him plenty of success.

2.

Will Marijuana Use Cost the Ducks the National Championship?

Multiple reports surfaced late Friday that freshman Darren Carrington would be ineligible for Monday’s national championship against Ohio State for failing a random drug test, supposedly registering a positive for marijuana.